Alumni & Students

The Politics and Education Program is dedicated to expertly training students for their professional careers. Many students become policy leaders and professors. As you evaluate this program, consider the perspectives of a recent graduate and a current student in the program.

I came to Teachers College after completing an MA in International Cooperation from Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. While there, I attempted to merge my studies in international relations with education. This is why I targeted the Politics and Education program at EPSA, because it also attempts to bridge aspects in differing academia sectors. During my time as a student in Korea, I worked as an editor at 'Diplomacy' magazine. I have also been lucky enough to present research at various conferences and I have a few upcoming publications due this year. Before starting the Korean MA program, I taught in a public high school in Incheon, South Korea. Since I have been at TC, I have done research with the Human Development Department and I currently work at Columbia University Medical Center's P&S admissions office and as an intern at AIED Council.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent two years
teaching for an NGO in India and a South Korean private academy. In addition to
my teaching, I coordinated my NGO’s corps of volunteer teachers while in India,
an experience which developed my interest in the politics that affect school
administration. I applied to EPSA’s Politics & Education program because of
this interest. Since arriving at Teachers College, I have developed an interest
in quantitatively-driven school evaluation and assessment, and how data can be
most effectively used to inform school reform efforts.

Having studied Political Science and Education for my
bachelor's and master's degrees, and having worked in local government
and research institutions, the Politics and Education program seemed
like a great fit for my interests. Specifically, my interests revolve
around how community organizing groups can affect local education
policy. This interest came about through researching community
organizing groups, which resulted in the publication of Getting to Outcomes: A User's Guide to a Revised Indicators Framework for Education Organizing. I
currently intern at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform once a
week to continue to be involved with community organizing groups and the
issues they organize around.

I am also a Tisch Doctoral Fellow working in
the Tisch Center for Food, Education, and Policy where I am combining my
interests of community organizing with food justice issues.

Lara
Pheatt is a Ph.D. student in the Politics and Education program and a Senior
Research Assistant at the Community College Research Center (CCRC). Her research focuses on the politics of state
finance and technological innovation in higher education. She plans to graduate in 2016.

Prior to
attending Teachers College, Lara studied political economy at UC Berkeley and
then taught for some years in K-12 and then abroad. After this, she transitioned into higher
education in order to combine her love of education with her interests in
management and administration of large organizations. After several years of working at the
university, it was abundantly clear that state politics and policies deeply
affect university function. In order to gain
a theoretical grasp on what was happening at the ground level, Lara once again
returned to graduate school to pursue her doctorate. Upon completion of her degree, Lara looks
forward to a career as an academic.

Lara was
recently awarded the Dean’s Grant for Student Research (May 2014) for her work
on the rapid expansion of Massive Open Online Courses in public and private
universities.

I came to Teachers College, Columbia University in New York from Massachusetts where I was teaching art at Watertown Middle School and coordinating community partnerships for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While in the classroom, I became interested in the broader goals and methods of education, and these interests have led me here to Teachers College. So far I have been enjoying getting a broader perspective through historical, legal, and organizational lenses. Education is such an exciting field, and I am happy to be working with so many talented peers here.

I currently intern with the Museum of Art and Design to help bring art to students in the Manhattan Alternative Learning Centers. I also love traveling and have recently visited South Korea, New Orleans, and Montreal. (My picture was taken in Boulder, CO during a US road trip.) For my own artwork, I am hand sewing a Victorian-style crazy quilt made from old T-shirts and linens. It has been three years in the making and I'm hoping this year will see it complete!

Education quality among different races and their socioeconomic status is currently the most appealing research subject to me. As an international student, I am
also interested in the progress of this topic throughout the U.S. history.

Esther came
to Teachers College after completing her undergraduate degree in Government at
the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom. The Politics and
Education program was an excellent degree for her as it not only deepened her understanding
of political science but also further cultivated her interest in education. She
still remembers vividly the wonderful intellectual exchanges that took place at
TC.

P&E program helped her gain confidence to
further her studies at the University of Cambridge, where she pursued a
doctoral degree in Education. She says that she was able to apply a lot of what
she learned at TC in her doctoral research examining different social classes’ ease of access to Chinese
private education, its relation to the underlying social processes in the
country, and its impact upon children’s future life chances. The topic of her
dissertation was “Private Education
in China: A Multiple-Case Study of Social Stratification
and Social Change.”

Having
graduated from Cambridge, she is currently working as an Assistant to the
Chairman in an education foundation in her hometown of Hong Kong, with
operations in mainland China.

“My TC
education has provided me with the knowledge and analytical skills that are needed
in my daily work. I am forever indebted to Teachers College, and particularly
to my advisor, Professor Jeff Henig, for his teaching and continued guidance
during my doctoral years and beyond,” Esther wrote.

Juliet
has served K-12 education for more
than 20 years. In 2008, she joined My Learning Plan Inc., a learning
organization and provider of integrated web-based solutions supporting
educator growth. As VP
of Educational Services, she collaborates with districts to align MLP
systems
to organizational best practices and evaluate the impact of professional
learning. Previously,
Juliet led product development and implementation teams, supporting an
array of professional learning initiatives across the country, and
served as a professional
learning facilitator and an award-winning classroom teacher. She has
presented
at national and international conferences and spoken on educational
technology
in Dublin, Bologna, and Singapore.

Jami began her career teaching middle and high
school English in Connecticut and spent a year serving as the Interim Director
of the Connecticut College Writing Center.
During that time she developed and facilitated workshops for teachers,
college faculty, and students on a variety of topics. After completing her administrative
certification, Jami’s interest in politics led her to the EPSA program, where
she began the Ed.M. program with a concentration on Politics and Education. In part influenced by the law courses she
took as part of her degree program, Jami applied to law school and will pursue
her law degree at the UConn School of Law.

Jami holds a B.A. in English and Classical
Civilizations from Connecticut College, an M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching from
Fairfield University, and a 6th year in Advanced Educational
Leadership from the University of New England.

I entered the Politics and Education program at Teachers College while still teaching in the New York City public schools. While I enjoyed teaching, I was frustrated with the number of policies that seemed to trickle down and stop at my classroom door. These policies often made little sense for my students or the neighborhood community within which I worked. I realized that I needed to understand the larger political context of urban areas and the policy process if I wanted to really be able to make a difference in schools. I found that the P & E program at TC helped me do this and far more.

I am currently an assistant professor at Michigan State University where I teach and conduct research on topics related to politics and education. The P & E program at TC prepared me to become a successful faculty member at a research institution because it allowed me to develop my own unique interests within the broader field of politics. The wide range of rigorous courses offered throughout TC and the larger Columbia University system enabled me to develop an expertise and strong research skills. I continue to work on a project about accountability systems with the Campaign for Educational Equity that began while I was at TC. I am also developing a research project on civic and political engagement that links the larger theoretical work in political science on this topic to the actual classroom practices of different schools.

I continue to collaborate with my former TC doctoral cohort which was an amazing set of students to learn both from and with. The development of these relationships was made possible by the concerted efforts of our program advisor, Jeff Henig, who created special classes that brought us together. Developing these relationships has proved to be equally important to developing my skills and knowledge. They continue to provide me with critical but extremely useful feedback as I continue to pursue new research topics.

Annika Many is a senior
professionally certified program and project manager with over twelve years
experience in the education field. She has worked on a number of programs
and services for higher education and K-12 educators. At edBridge Partners LLC,
she is a principal of the firm, responsible for program development and
management services.
Prior to joining edBridge, Annika
spent over nine years at the College Board, where she held positions in
strategy, program, and project management, supporting several divisions across
the organization. In her most recent role as the Senior Director for the
Advocacy & Policy Center, Annika spearheaded the development and
implementation of the Affinity Network, a unique initiative that brought
together K-12 and postsecondary educators to work towards improving students’ transition
from high school to college; led the portfolio of advocacy and policy
initiatives related to college affordability and financial aid; and, organized
and directed the operations of the Center.

During her time at Teachers College,
she studied education politics and policy with some of the premiere
faculty in the field, including Luis Huerta, Amy Stuart Wells, and Jeffrey
Henig, as well as had great practical experiences from participation in the
Federal Policy Institute and an internship in government relations at
the American Educational Research Association. Annika also worked full time as
a project assistant at the Community College Research Center, where she
supported research projects on topics such as the role of community colleges in
state adult education systems, and institutional success factors for students
in community colleges.

Annika also holds a M.P.A. degree
in non-profit management from Pace University, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa
with a BA in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University.

Lauren McDade is currently a Development Associate for City Year, an
education non-profit that works to end the dropout crisis in cities
across the country by training and deploying idealistic young people to
serve as tutors, mentors, and role models to students in low-performing,
high-poverty schools.

Lauren came to the Master’s program in Politics & Education
after serving as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Washington, DC
where she worked in a school in Northeast DC tutoring and mentoring high
school students. Working in a high-poverty school inspired her to
commit her career to education equity and social justice. At Teachers
College, she focused her studies in urban education and education law.
She completed her M.A. in Politics and Education in May 2013.

She also
holds a B.A. in Political Science from Towson University, MD.

Kenann tells us that she was immediately fascinated by the educational experience in the United States after immigration from Guyana at the age of 7. Her family impressed upon her that excelling at school would be one of the best ways to move beyond poverty and limited choices. Her mother, in particular, inspired her to persevere in reaching her educational goals and served as a great role model in doing so. Kenann attended an array of schools until she graduated from high school and marveled at a variety in resources, neighborhoods, and school climates. She always wanted to understand how society, and education in particular, can function to bring out the best in humanity.

That curiosity led Kenann to pursue independent research opportunities during her undergraduate studies at Cornell University. After attending the University of Virginia, where she earned a Master’s degree in Social Foundations of Education, she worked as a policy intern for the federal government with the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. It was there, where she learned first-hand about the policy making process. Later in her career, she added to her experience by working with students and in policy implementation when she worked for several years as an academic counselor at Georgetown University.

Kenann returned to a graduate school at Teachers College, Columbia University and during the time of her studies there she assisted with conducting research on school choice with the Georgetown Public Policy Institute/Arkansas University collaboration. Being a student at TC broadened her appreciation for studying issues affecting urban settings and also deepened her commitment to issues of social justice. Through courses and experiences, she discovered her deep passion for civic capacity building and community restoration. After several years into the program, her classes and research began to coalesce around these issues.

While serving as an adjunct during her time as a doctoral student at the Politics and Education program, she knew she needed to learn more about K-12 experiences. She taught research methodology courses as well as a Social Foundations course. She was fascinated by the work done by the teachers she taught in DC. This path led her to the Frank W. Ballou High School in South East, Washington DC, where many hard-working educators are galvanizing youth in one of the most economically depressed neighborhoods in the DC Metro area. After working at Ballou for several years, she was presented with an amazing opportunity. She was offered a position of the Executive Director for the National Board for Education Science at the US Department of Education. She sincerely believes that education research is critical to understanding what is working and what continues to be a challenge in educating our nation’s children. She feels privileged to be able to professionally contribute to this work!

Emily
started her education career as a Montessori Spanish teacher, dedicating
afterschool hours to teaching adult English Language Learners through the
Center for New Americans and coaching skiing for the Special Olympics. She is a
former middle school special education teacher and program liaison for students
with significant disabilities. Teaching within the public sector made her
conscious of the need for research and policy that immediately impacts student
outcomes, yet is sensitive to the reality that affecting meaningful change
takes time and the investment of multiple stakeholders. Combining her
on-the-ground experience as an educator with an interest in politics and
policy, Emily joined the department’s Politics and Education Program in 2012.

While in
the Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Emily had the
opportunity to expand her leadership skills by representing EPSA on the Student
Senate, co-organizing the EPSA Policy Pop-Up Discussion Series, and hosting
roundtable discussions on teacher leadership and reform: “Teacher Voice: Power,
Unions, and the Structure of Education Reform” and “The Biggest Bullies in
Schools…Teachers Unions?”

Currently,
Emily is the Director of Programs at the Rennie Center where she manages a full
portfolio of labor-management initiatives including the Massachusetts Education
Partnership’s District Capacity Project and Interest Based Bargaining
Institute. She also is the coordinator of the Education Policy Fellowship
Program-Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Institute for College and Career
Readiness.

Emily
holds a M.S. in Special Education from Simmons College and a B.A. in Political
Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Justin
began his career in education in the lower Rio Grande Valley of South
Texas with youth programs in leadership development and the arts through
the National Hispanic Institute and Frida, Inc., respectively. Noticing
that the social inequities that plagued marginalized communities like
his hometown were structural, his desire grew to positively affect the
lives of others through education and educational policy.

He is currently a Project Analyst for Kamehameha
Schools' Ka Pua Initiative, a regional approach to supporting the
education of all children along the Waiʻanae Coast of Oʻahu, regardless
of race or ethnicity. This collaborative effort exists with multiple
cross-sector partnerships ranging from early childhood providers to
human services and health professionals to address the many factors
influencing educational outcomes in a poverty-stricken community.

He also holds a B.S. in Psychology and American Studies from Tufts University.

I came to TC from the West Coast where I ran academic summer camps and
coached competitive policy debate. Through my TC capstone project, I
connected with a New York City Council member representing West Harlem
and Washington Heights and went on to work on his legislative affairs
team. Meanwhile, I developed research skills through coursework at TC
and the broader Columbia University system. These experiences motivated
me to further develop my ability to conduct education policy-related
research.

I am currently pursuing these interests as a doctoral student
at the Harvard Graduate School of
Education and as a doctoral fellow in the Harvard University-wide
Inequality and Social Policy program. My research relates to the role of
educational programs in mitigating social inequality. In particular, I
am examining the effectiveness of strategies to turnaround persistently
under-performing schools and districts. I am grateful to have
participated in TC's Politics and Education program and to still be
connected with the TC community.

Assistant Superintendent
Community Engagement &
Accountability
San Jose Unified School District

Presently, Jason is managing the implementation of the new,
5-year strategic plan including significant reforms for human capital
management and school redesign. San Jose Unified serves 33,000 students in
California’s Silicon Valley. Prior to San Jose Unified Jason Willis was the
Chief Financial, Business Officer for the Stockton Unified School District.
Prior to that he was the budget director for Oakland Unified School District in
California, where he managed the district-wide budget development,
implementation and monitoring process to ensure that funds are equitably
allocated in support of the district's strategic priorities. He has published
several articles focused on effective resource use, central office redesign,
and weighted student funding models with the Annenberg Institute for School
Reform, the Association of School Business Officials International, and the
School Finance Redesign Project at the University of Washington.

Tyler's entire academic and professional careers have
been dedicated to education equity and ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline. After
graduating from the University of South Carolina, Tyler served
socioeconomically disadvantaged students as an 8th grade social
studies teacher in Hopkins, South Carolina. Disheartened by the lack of funding
for public education and the devastating impact of zero tolerance discipline
policies, he enrolled at Teachers College, Columbia University in pursuit of a
master’s degree in Politics and Education. Here, Tyler studied the various
facets of the School-to-Prison Pipeline, charter school reform, education
funding and education law.

After
receiving his masters in Politics and Education, Tyler continued advocating for
education equity as an Education Policy Fellow with the North Carolina Justice
Center’s Education Law Project. While working in North Carolina, he worked to empower
students, parents and community members with the tools necessary to promote
education equity and ensure equal access to a quality education.

Tyler chose
to attend Tulane University Law School in the Fall of 2011 to improve his ability
to advocate for youth. During law school, he volunteered with Stand Up for Each
Other (SUFEO)—a student-led organization representing youth who have been
wrongfully suspended and expelled from New Orleans public schools. SUFEO’s youth representation addressed the
devastating impact of biased discipline policies, school push outs, and the over-criminalization
of youth of color. For these efforts, Tyler was awarded the Louisiana State Bar
Association’s 2014 Student Pro Bono Award.

As remarked by TC President Susan Fuhrman during the 2013
doctoral hooding ceremony, I took the “long road” to TC, entering the doctoral program
after completing my professional
career in government, politics and international business. For me it was a time to both reflect upon and
deepen my understanding of the critical linkages between education and
democracy while attempting to penetrate the veil of persistently low voter
turnout among US young adults – a constituency that demonstrates both the
highest same-age educational attainment and lowest voter turnout of any age
category.

The TC Politics and Education program was instrumental to
the pursuit of my academic agenda in several respects. Its flexibility
permitted me to pursue a fully individualized and integrated education and
political science curriculum. Its leadership profile established a high
benchmark for creative but rigorous scholarship to attack the young adult voter
turnout problem. And the faculty relationships it engendered --
particularly those involving Jeff Henig, Doug Ready and Bob Shapiro -- provided
an endless source of ideas, constructive criticism and encouragement.

I look forward to
continuing my political participation research, and I greatly value my ongoing
TC affiliation as an adjunct faculty member in the Politics and Education
program.